New HTC One May be a Low-Light Photo Master

HTC is doing some serious hype work for its upcoming All New HTC One, otherwise known by its codename M8. Case in point, the handset maker has released a new teaser trailer that points out the benefits of the smartphone’s new rear camera. According to the video, the New HTC will improve on the current model’s low-light capabilities, though HTC sensors any details on how it will do so.

The trailer begins by describing the current HTC One’s 2-micrometer Ultrapixel image sensor, which the company says helps the phone’s camera capture 300 percent more light than its leading competitors. Essentially the video makes the case that the One is great at taking low-light photos, and the New HTC One will build on that.

Here’s the thing, though. During our Smartphone Camera Shootout 2013, the HTC One took 5th and 6th place in the outdoor without flash and outdoor with flash categories, respectively. Inside, the camera took 3rd place without a flash. It did, however, take 1st place when it came to indoor portraits taken with a flash. So the One’s camera is good in low-light situations, but not exactly the best, as the company would have you believe.

There have been a variety of rumors surrounding the New HTC One’s camera. The most recent leaks point to a handset with a dual-camera layout and larger flash, which may lend credence to the aforementioned teaser trailer’s claims. That said, the same leaks indicate that the New One’s camera will feature the same 2-micrometer, 4 Ultrapixel image sensor found on its predecessor. Will the addition of the second camera be enough to give the New HTC One the title of best shooter around? We’ll have to wait until the phone’s March 25th unveiling to find out.

A newspaper man at heart, Dan Howley wrote for Greater Media Newspapers before joining Laptopmag.com. He also served as a news editor with ALM Media’s Law Technology News, and he holds a B.A. in English from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.